Wi Fi

Southwest Airlines said Friday it will begin offering Internet service on all 540 planes in its fleet by 2012. The airline, the largest carrier at BWI Marshall Airport, has been testing service on some planes for several months. It hasn't decided how much it will charge for the service. The airline said it has signed an equipment purchase contract with Wi-Fi provider Row 44 and will begin installing it in the second quarter. It expects to install equipment on around 15 aircraft per month initially, with the goal of increasing that number to 25 aircraft until it is on every flight.

If you're worried about being out of touch while in Ocean City this summer, Comcast wants to ease your mind. Beginning today, visitors and residents can access free WiFi service from Xfinity on smartphones, tablets and other devices at points along the boardwalk and beyond. You don't have to be a Comcast subscriber to tap into the hotspots, which will be available to non-customers at no charge through July 4. A map of hotspots on the cable company's website, showed generous coverage of Ocean City's south end. On the north end, hotspots were located near Northside Park and at 144th Street, just south of the Delaware state line.

Some courtrooms will soon be wireless in Baltimore County Circuit Court. Sixteen wireless access points will be installed in courtrooms and the State's Attorney's Office, allowing prosecutors to access Wi-Fi, reducing costs and improving efficiency, county officials said Monday. "Providing this real-time access to court-related documents reduces the costs of duplicative and unnecessary printing and significantly saves support staff time, enabling them to focus on higher priority tasks," County Executive Kevin Kamenetz said in a statement released Monday.

The Internet could eventually be as ubiquitous as the air we breathe if the Federal Communications Commission moves forward with a plan to allow free access to an unused portion of the broadcast spectrum. The WiFi networks that would flourish on that bandwidth could powerfully transform our lives and spur massive innovation in the economy - if the idea can get past the multi-billion dollar interests standing in its way. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is spearheading the public WiFi effort on the grounds that it could lead to whole new industries of products and services, but the idea would also serve the agency's mission to reduce the digital divide by expanding the availability of high-speed Internet access and reducing its cost.

Baltimore's six historic public markets should be equipped with Wi-Fi before the year's end, the city's new Chief Information Officer said Thursday. Chris Tonjes, who runs the Mayor's Office of Information Technology, said it should cost less than $25,000 to equip five markets - Avenue, Broadway Market, Cross Street, Hollins and Northeast - with the service. The upgrade of Lexington Market - the city's best known and first to receive the upgrade - will be funded by a donation from Believe Wireless Broadband, which is giving the city the equipment and bandwidth for the project, officials said.

There is no question that Wi-Fi has caught on in a big way. Wireless access points are showing up in droves in homes, businesses and even airports and coffee shops. Starbucks, for example, has installed Wi-Fi in many of its outlets. The majority of these networks are installed with factory settings, which do not employ encryption or any other security measure, leaving them largely open to intruders. Usually the wireless signal extends beyond the building where the network is installed and any person who can grab the signal can use it for Net access.

IF YOU HAVE a broadband Internet connection and more than one computer at home, you may have thought about setting up a home network. You'll certainly have company. According to the latest Nielsen/NetRatings report, more then 49 million people, or 38 percent of all home Internet users, connected via broadband in November. Many broadband households have multiple computers, and cable or DSL modems, with their high-speed delivery and always-on service, give those PCs a chance to share that Internet connection.

AirTran Airways will become the first major airline to add high-speed Internet service to all of its planes, in a move that could pressure other airlines to speed up plans to offer the service. The Florida-based airline said Tuesday that it will offer Wi-Fi service on its 136 jets by midsummer. It's the most aggressive move to date by a large airline to allow passengers to browse the Web using their laptops, smart phones or PDAs. AirTran will charge $9.95 for flights under three hours and $12.95 for longer flights.

Travelers can get lunch, a massage and a souvenir while they wait for their flights from BWI. And now they also can get their e-mail. Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport said yesterday that it has joined most other major airports in offering wireless Internet service. The airport began ramping up the service in November, and Wi-Fi, as it's known, is now available in all the concession and gate areas. Areas outside of security zones, including the ticketing and baggage areas, will be online by the end of the month.

Mandatory showers and mouthwash for all people sitting in my aisle. Luke Broadwater, reporter, The Baltimore Sun How about slightly larger bathrooms ... or iPad rentals? Stokely Baksh, community coordinator, The Baltimore Sun Improve the pretzels. And by "improve," I mean get Auntie Annes on the plane. Wesley Case, reporter, b Improv theater, performed by flight attendants. Between the flight attendant who sailed cursing down the emergency chute, and the ranting pilot who lost his mind mid-flight, this seems to be an industry trend.

Some courtrooms will soon be wireless in Baltimore County Circuit Court. Sixteen wireless access points will be installed in courtrooms and the State's Attorney's Office, allowing prosecutors to access Wi-Fi, reducing costs and improving efficiency, county officials said Monday. "Providing this real-time access to court-related documents reduces the costs of duplicative and unnecessary printing and significantly saves support staff time, enabling them to focus on higher priority tasks," County Executive Kevin Kamenetz said in a statement released Monday.

Happy Super Bowl Monday, Baltimore. Unsurprisingly, game-related topics are getting a lot of attention online today, along with several news stories that broke as the weekend was commencing. That latter category includes the possibility of large, free Wi-Fi networks and America's first space pornographer. If faces on the light rail ride this morning were any sort of accurate indication, most readers are, at best, blinking at this article through a rather dense fog of celebratory hangover, so without further verbosity: || ONLINE TRENDS || Super Bowl (NFL, Ravens, Joe Flacco, #SB47, #Champions)

Baltimore's six historic public markets should be equipped with Wi-Fi before the year's end, the city's new Chief Information Officer said Thursday. Chris Tonjes, who runs the Mayor's Office of Information Technology, said it should cost less than $25,000 to equip five markets - Avenue, Broadway Market, Cross Street, Hollins and Northeast - with the service. The upgrade of Lexington Market - the city's best known and first to receive the upgrade - will be funded by a donation from Believe Wireless Broadband, which is giving the city the equipment and bandwidth for the project, officials said.

Free Wi-Fi access at U.S. airports appears to be spreading like firewire and Baltimore has finally caught it. Today, BWI-Thurgood Marshall Airport announced that free, basic wireless Internet access is now available for travelers in addition to a paid, premium service. Users of the free service will see a brief advertisement before beginning the 45-minute wireless session. Customers can use as many free sessions as they want. Now, those who choose to pay a fee will get faster bandwidth and commercial-free wireless service for $4.95 an hour or $7.95 for 24 hours of access.

Mandatory showers and mouthwash for all people sitting in my aisle. Luke Broadwater, reporter, The Baltimore Sun How about slightly larger bathrooms ... or iPad rentals? Stokely Baksh, community coordinator, The Baltimore Sun Improve the pretzels. And by "improve," I mean get Auntie Annes on the plane. Wesley Case, reporter, b Improv theater, performed by flight attendants. Between the flight attendant who sailed cursing down the emergency chute, and the ranting pilot who lost his mind mid-flight, this seems to be an industry trend.

About 8:30 Friday morning, Brian Dorr emerged, with a large smile and his arms raised, from the Apple Store at The Mall in Columbia, as blue-shirted employees cheered and slapped him high-fives. He and his wife, Donna, got what they came for: the third-generation iPad. While the rest of the mall's stores were closed and window displays were dark, a line formed around the second-floor Apple Store as shoppers gathered to purchase Apple's latest coveted gadget. Apple started selling its newest tablet Friday, betting that the sharper screen and faster chip will extend its lead over Google and Amazon.com in the growing market.

ToadNet to develop Wi-Fi test program for Royal Farms sites ToadNet Inc., whose headquarters are in Severna Park, has been selected by the Baltimore--based Royal Farms convenience store chain to set up a beta test program for wireless fidelity, or Wi-Fi, Internet access. Five Royal Farm stores in Maryland and Virginia will initiate a trial run of the service, including one highway location. The ToadNet Wi-Fi service will offer Royal Farms customers who have wireless-equipped laptops, PDAs or cellular phones direct access to the Internet to check e-mail or surf the Web. ToadWi-fi is an 802.11b technology and will be deployed through Digital Subscriber Lines and an access point or wireless hub at each location.

It's that time of year again -- the time when Apple gathers a gaggle of handpicked reporters and bloggers to unveil a big new gadget. It's happening March 7th again -- the unveiling of the latest iPad. Who knows if it will be called the iPad 3, or maybe the iPad 2S? I'm expecting a faster device and a way-nicer touch screen. The touch display will probably burn your retinas as you stare into it. (That's a joke, not a product warning.) Here's what people around the tech web are saying about the iPad 3: * ZDNet has a good breakdown of predictions and expectations.

It's that time of year again -- the time when Apple gathers a gaggle of handpicked reporters and bloggers to unveil a big new gadget. It's happening March 7th again -- the unveiling of the latest iPad. Who knows if it will be called the iPad 3, or maybe the iPad 2S? I'm expecting a faster device and a way-nicer touch screen. The touch display will probably burn your retinas as you stare into it. (That's a joke, not a product warning.) Here's what people around the tech web are saying about the iPad 3: * ZDNet has a good breakdown of predictions and expectations.

David and Dad's Cafe at the Southeast Anchor Library is now serving customers. There will be a grand opening on Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 10 a.m. The new 1,164 square-foot cafe will sell coffee, specialty drinks, pastries, sandwiches, salads, prepared food and more. The cafe, which will has an outdoor patio and free Wi-Fi, is open be open Monday to Friday, 7:30 to 4 p.m. and on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. David and Dad's at the...